Mumbai sizzles on March's second hottest day in a decade

With 40.8 degrees Celsius recorded in Santacruz on Wednesday, the Indian Meteorological Department has warned that the blistering heat is expected to continue for the next few days

If you were one of the many Mumbaikars complaining about the excessive heat yesterday, your ire was quite justified. Wednesday recorded the second highest temperature in the month of March over the past decade.

According to IMD, the humidity of the city added to the heat on Wednesday. File pic

The mercury rose to a sweltering 40.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday afternoon (recorded in Santacruz), second only to March 17, 2011, which recorded 41.3 degrees Celsius, the hottest day of the month since 2005.

The all time record for the hottest day in March stands at 41.7 degrees Celsius, which was recorded on March 28, 1956, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). “One of the main reasons for the temperature to rise so suddenly is because the sea breeze set in quite late this year.

In addition, the dry easterly winds have been bringing the heat from the land side,” said Rajeev Nair, director of IMD, Mumbai. Nair added that the humidity in Santacruz was 42 per cent, which is otherwise considered normal, but with the increase in temperature it added to the heat. The heat is expected to continue for the next few days, he said.

Drink upThe sudden and extreme change in weather may affect the health of people, said Dr Milind Nadkar, professor of Medicine at KEM hospital.

“Mumbai doesn’t usually witness cases of heatstroke that occurs due to dry heat, because of the high humidity. However, due to loss of water and sodium, people tend to drink juices or others beverages available outside, which can lead to infections.

There could be a possibility of viral infections as well,” said Dr Nadkar. He said that people should keep themselves hydrated at all times and using a pinch of salt in water and drinking lemon juice will help keep their bodies cool.

Heat claims female protestor’s lifeThe relentless heat claimed the life of a woman protester on Wednesday. Anganwadi worker Asha Pawar was among hundreds of protesters gathered at Azad Maidan to demand a hike in remuneration. However, she collapsed after suffering from a heatstroke and was rushed to GT Hospital where she was declared dead.